Bomb-sniffing dogs dropped from helicopters off Galveston coast

Published 4:06 pm, Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Photo: U.S Coast Guard Photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery

Image 1of/16

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 16

A Coast Guard K-9 handler from the Marine Safety and Security Team in
Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing dog are lowered from a MH-65
Dolphin from Air Station Houston to a boat, Feb. 7, 2014. The hoist was
part of training designed to acclimate the dog and handler with the
aerial entry process.

A Coast Guard K-9 handler from the Marine Safety and Security Team in
Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing dog are lowered from a MH-65
Dolphin from Air Station Houston to a boat, Feb. 7, 2014. The hoist ... more

Photo: U.S Coast Guard Photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery

Image 2 of 16

A Coast Guard K-9 handler from the Marine Safety and Security Team in Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing dog are lowered from a MH-65 Dolphin from Air Station Houston to a boat, Feb. 7, 2014. The hoist was part of training designed to acclimate the dog and handler with the aerial entry process.

A Coast Guard K-9 handler from the Marine Safety and Security Team in Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing dog are lowered from a MH-65 Dolphin from Air Station Houston to a boat, Feb. 7, 2014. The hoist

A Coast Guard K-9 handler from the Marine Safety and Security Team in Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing dog are lowered from a MH-65 Dolphin from Air Station Houston to a boat, Feb. 7, 2014. The hoist was part of training designed to acclimate the dog and handler with the aerial entry process.

A Coast Guard K-9 handler from the Marine Safety and Security Team in Galveston, Texas, and his bomb-sniffing dog are lowered from a MH-65 Dolphin from Air Station Houston to a boat, Feb. 7, 2014. The hoist

Patrolman Phil Owens, a member of the East Greenwich Police Department, and his K-9 Deuce ride in a Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., during a joint agency training exercise in Glassboro, April 20, 2011. The goal of the joint agency training exercise is to safely introduce and familiarize the K-9 teams with riding in helicopters for the purpose of either criminal apprehension, search and rescue or any type of K-9 deployment that would require air support.

Patrolman Phil Owens, a member of the East Greenwich Police Department, and his K-9 Deuce ride in a Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., during a joint agency

You've probably never seen a dog in goggles and ear protectors being lowered from a helicopter, but military fans in Galveston were treated to just that over the weekend.

Coast Guard K-9 handlers from the Marine Safety and Security Team were doing hoist training with two bomb-sniffing dogs, whose job it is to sniff out potential explosives on container ships coming into the port.

The dogs were lowered from a height of 30 to 50 feet from an MH-65 Dolphin deployed from Air Station Houston to a boat waiting below. It's a simulation of real-life situations the dogs might have to face if suspect ships came into the Gulf.

"My dog Bert is a seasoned veteran," said Petty officer Chandler Nuttal of his 5-year-old German Shepherd who he says has been hoisted onto ships four times to sniff out bombs. "The hoist training went very well."

The dog looked a natural in his goggles and chest harness with legs poised out like a super hero.

His younger colleague Diggo still had some work to do though.

"He's a young dog, he had some cabin fear but he'll get used to it," Nuttal said.

The idea of the training is to get new dogs like Diggo accustomed to the extreme sounds and motion of a helicopter, a skill necesssary for all 14 dogs on the team.

"Some dogs will be a little scared, get afraid in the cockpit, other dogs will be more like, 'Dad, I'm ready to go!' and jump right in," said officer Nuttal.